Local authority settles with CLA for end user piracy
CLA and its compliance unit, Copywatch, have reached an out of court settlement with a UK city council for infringing the copyright contained in books, journals, magazines and trade press.
Evidence was obtained showing that council employees have been copying content contained in published media, which is protected by copyright, without lawful permission.
The council paid CLA a five figure sum to compensate rights holders for this unlicensed copying activity by its employees over a number of years.
The money will be distributed to authors, publishers and visual creators in the form of royalty payments in recompense for the council’s end user piracy of their works.
Copying without a licence from CLA places any organisation at risk of infringing copyright law and the threat of expensive legal action. Copywatch continues to actively target illegal copying in unlicensed local authorities and businesses.
CLA issues licences to thousands of businesses, educational establishments and public sector organizations to permit photocopying, scanning, e-mail delivery and electronic storage from millions of titles (including press clippings) by staff.
For further information please contact pr@cla.co.uk
Employees who want to report potential illegal copying can go to www.copywatch.org/index2.htm and Copywatch will investigate.
